Office Relocation IT Checklist: Moving Without Downtime

Short answer

Moving without downtime is not about how fast the movers are, it is about sequence. The longest step is getting internet connected; the most forgotten are phone numbers and small devices such as printers and gateways. A working plan:

1. Right after choosing the premises: order internet and survey the building.
2. Several weeks before: cabling, inventory, seating plan.
3. One week before: labeling, backups, communication with staff.
4. The weekend: move and bring systems up.
5. Monday: checks and on-site support.

Exact timing depends on office size and the ISP, so the stages below run from earliest to latest.

As early as possible: internet and survey

• Find out which ISPs are already in the building. If the line you need is not there, it has to be built, which means approvals from the landlord and time.
• Order the main connection and, if possible, a backup from a different ISP. Ask the ISP for the real connection date right away, and whether you need a static IP.
• Survey the premises with an installer: is there structured cabling and what state is it in, where is the server room or rack space, is there a dedicated power circuit and ventilation, where will the ISP line enter.
• Check mobile coverage indoors: it decides whether you need boosters or Wi-Fi calling.

Several weeks before: cabling and inventory

• Cabling. If there is none or it is in poor shape, order installation based on the seating plan. Require labeling, test reports and a diagram.
• Wi-Fi. Plan access points for the actual layout, not "one router in the middle".
• Equipment inventory. A table: device, serial number, owner, where it is now and where it will go. It is also a good moment to retire old kit.
• A list of everything on the network: printers, NAS, cameras, access control, IP phones, gateways, meeting room displays. These are the most often forgotten.
• Accounts and access: passwords for the router, ISP portal, cloud PBX and device admin panels must be held by you, not only by a former contractor.

Phone numbers

• Ask your provider whether you can keep your numbers at the new address. With a cloud PBX, numbers are usually not tied to the premises; with landlines it is more complicated.
• If numbers are moving to another operator, start the porting process early: it takes time and paperwork.
• Update the address on the website, in maps and in email signatures on moving day, not later.

One week before: labeling and backups

• Label every device and cable: who it belongs to and where it goes. Stickers on the monitor, computer, dock and power adapter.
• Back up servers, NAS and important workstations, and verify that the backups restore.
• Save the configurations of the router, switches and PBX.
• Brief the staff: what to pack themselves, what not to touch, when and where they start working. Let those who can work remotely on the first day.
• Arrange an overlap for internet: do not cancel the old connection until the new one is working.

The weekend: move and bring up

1. Friday evening: shut down and pack in the reverse order of startup.
2. Bring up the network first: ISP line, router, switches, access points.
3. Then servers and NAS, then printers and phones.
4. Place workstations by their labels and connect them according to the port plan.
5. Verify each stage before moving to the next.

Monday: post-move checks

• Internet works and the backup connection fails over.
• All workstations see the network, printers and shared folders.
• Inbound and outbound calls work and caller ID shows correctly.
• Remote access (VPN), cameras and access control work.
• Backups ran on schedule.
• There is a named person staff go to with problems, and a list of issues.